Wednesday, April 30, 2008

You need: magazines or catalogs that you might otherwise throw away. We have found that children's magazines make the neatest envelopes, but if you just want to recycle, then use whatever you have. scissors tape, glue, or glue stick blank address labels that you can write on 1 store bought envelope

Carefully open up the store bought envelope on all of the sides that are glued down so that it lays open and flat. Use this for your template. Take your template and place it on a magazine page. Trace all the way around the template. Cut out your new envelope. Fold all of the flaps in so that they resemble a more colorful version of your template. Use glue, tape, or glue stick to seal the edges. Stick address labels on the back in the appropriate places. When you want to use your envelope, put the letter inside, seal envelope with tape, glue, or even a cute sticker. Don't forget the stamp! In case you are wondering, the post office will accept these. We even use them to pay our bills. This a great "rainy day" activity. It kept my youngest child entertained for hours when I was too sick to do more strenuous activities.

Tuesday, April 29, 2008

Welcome to The Home School Challenge. Here, you will be treated to some very special and unique projects that we have tried and liked in our home school. Some of our ideas are fairly simple and logical. Others might seem outrageous and absurd, but we have fun, and learning is maximized. Be prepared to make education your lifestyle, rather than just something that the state requires.

HOMESCHOOL CHALLENGE #1The Paper Clip Project:*You need 1 paperclip, preferably a nice, colored one for each participant.Give each participant one of the paperclips, and instruct them to trade their paperclips for something else. The idea is to trade up for something a little better than the paperclip. Then, they should take the item that they received for their paperclip, and trade that item for something else, each time, trying to get something a little better than what they start with. To learn more about how this can work, find out how a man bought a house with one, red paperclip at http://www.oneredpaperclip.com/. This project can last for a set period of time, or go on indefinitely. Obviously, if you are trying for a new house, you will have to exercise some patience and take your time with this project. Be prepared to laugh until your sides hurt, as you see the faces of people as your children sweetly ask them what they will give them for their paper clip. The lessons learned during this project are vast, but as unique to each child as the project itself. I would love to hear from you after you launch this project. What else can you use besides a paperclip? Try it and see.Have a Great Day!Laurel Santiago

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About Me

Homeschooling mother of four, wife to one, author of Laurel Santiago Unit Studies for the Homeschool series. Founder of The Sparklers Baton Twirling Corps of Monahans, Texas, leader of our local homeschool Girl Scout troop, co-leader of the Monahans Homeschool Group, and President of the Sands Art Association.